Unofficial news and tips about Google

December 3, 2007

Gmail Adds Label Colors

Google promised to add features at a higher pace in the new version of Gmail. The latest addition is label colors: you can now set a different color for each label so you can identify messages easier. Not all Gmail accounts have the new feature, but it will probably be enabled for everyone soon.

It's also easier to find related messages and to remove a label without using the drop-down.

Update. The post from Gmail's blog that announces this feature says something interesting: "We actually kinda like folders. In fact, we're doing some work to add some folder-y-ish functionality. Stay tuned." It will probably involve some drag-and-drop.

Update 2. Gmail seems to have fixed the performance issues and doesn't cache messages so aggressively.

I don't know if this is new or if I just missed it before, but there is also an "x" next to the label name in the detail view (see screenshot in original article) that allows you to remove a label from a message. I like the new features, keep them coming Gmail team!

This is one "feature" I could do without. I do not like it at all and I can't get rid of it. You cannot select the text colors and background colors independently. I do not want a box around the label--it is obtrusive--but if I select the only label with the same background color as the inbox, then I am forced to accept a bright blue label. It would be better if they gave us the option to not display the labels in the inbox view.

I'm still using the old version because I don't receive all the images whenever I get big msgs, they don't all forward when I forward them, my hyperlink just shows the code vs. the link in the signature, and worst of all, Firefox freezes up on me EVERYTIME I go back and see if any of those things are fixed!

Would be much more interesting/useful to label contacts, not only messages. Labelling all family-related, work-related, etc-related contacts would mark all work related mail with one label & color. Contact groups are not that useful - they can't be used with filtering. What do you think?

I think GApps users (or GAFYD, whatever you like) should be grateful they don't get a buggy version of Gmail, like the rest of the people. I've already noticed some performance improvements, so in a few weeks everyone should enjoy Gmail 2.0 (and the long list of features that will be added until then).

You have a good point, but the reason I find the colors useless is because I archive all of my emails with filters by skipping inbox, and I don't ever visit All Mail section, so the drop down arrow next to the label and little more line spacing is useless for me.

I send my best regards to G.MAIL teem engneers and disgners ,who spent long time of thier duties to istablish this high preformance , 'm waiting for this new upgrade and not wondring gmail wens last year the top 100 products , good luck to u all , thx